The Pokémon Trading Card Game isn’t exactly known for being draft friendly. Magic: the Gathering has earned a reputation as one of the best drafting games, and Pokémon has never really tried to compete with it on that front. The need to evolve through very specific evolutionary lines makes it difficult to ensure that you’ll have a deck that works, since you’ll need to crack both a Charmander and a Charmeleon if you want to play that Charizard card you’ve just opened. This could all be about to change, though, as the Pokémon TCG prepares to offer a new drafting experience.
In an announcement on the official Pokémon website, several changes to licensed Pokémon TCG stores have been announced. These include new sticker sheets and acrylic standees to reward players who play regularly. If you’re looking to get ahead playing with your community, check out our guide to the best Pokémon cards.
The most exciting of these announcements, at least to my limited loving brain, is the revelation that stores will soon be receiving ‘battle boxes’ that players can use to enjoy a bit of drafting fun.
Per the article, “A Battle Box includes everything two Trainers need (including instructions) to participate in a quick-and-easy drafting experience.”
This isn’t a purchasable product or something that you can take home. The article makes clear that: “cards must be returned to the Battle Box so more Trainers can continue enjoying the drafting experience.”
Beyond that, details are sparse. The only cards that are currently known to be included in the Battle Box are Feraligatr and Metagross from Temporal Forces, and Infernape from Twilight Masquerade.
This isn’t the first time that the Pokémon Company has tried to get players drafting. Last April, they put up an article sharing tips for players looking to build their own Pokémon TCG cubes. In other words, a customizable Pokémon set to play with friends.
This article on cubing encourages players to bend a few of the game’s systems, and to “get weird with Evolution rules”. The Battle Box may, or may not, adopt a similarly cavalier attitude towards evolving Pokémon. Personally, I’m always up for watching a Turtwig transform into a Tangrowth.
Have you ever tried to draft using Pokémon cards? Let us know how it went on the Wargamer Discord.
If you’re planning on cooking up a cube of your own, here’s a list of every Pokémon set for some inspiration.
Source: Wargamer
